Influencer Attributes and Content Diffusion: Examining the Effects of Popularity, Network Centrality, and Authenticity on Content Virality and Audience Trust

Background: This study analyses the effects of Influencer popularity, Influencer network centrality, and authenticity on content virality and followers’ trust in Jordan. Methods: Data were collected through a quantitative cross-sectional survey of 330 respondents who follow social media influencers. Results: Results indicated that authenticity had a significant positive effect on audience trust (β = 0.573, p = 0.000) and the virality of the content (β = 0.454, p = 0.000). Network centrality was a significant positive factor for audience trust (β = 0.159, p = 0.003) and not significant for content virality (β = 0.051, p = 0.435). influencer popularity had no significant effect on audience trust (p = 0.793, β = 0.014) or content virality (p = 0.128, β = 0.101). Conclusions: The findings suggest that perceived authenticity enhances the audience’s trust and content diffusion more than popularity-based indicators. The research underscores the value of recruiting influencers based on their credibility, authenticity and social network positions.